Chen Mobai pondered for a moment and wrote down the character “丹” (Elixir).

Compared to fate and marriage, he felt that cultivation realms were more tangible.

“Can I Form a Golden Elixir?”

Chen Mobai handed over the paper and pen he had written on and asked the question he had in mind.

The girl in sunglasses stretched out her pale right hand, her slender fingers taking the paper. She slightly lowered her head, her eyes hidden behind the sunglasses were unclear, and Chen Mobai suddenly felt the urge to remove her sunglasses and see her true face.

Very strange.

He considered himself very capable of controlling his emotions, especially during Qi Refining when cultivating the mind and spirit, accustomed to dispelling distractions and focusing on spiritual consciousness.

Ever since his Foundation Establishment, such unusual impulses from within had long been absent.

“Within the Immortal Gate, any cultivator has the chance to Form a Golden Elixir.”

At this moment, the girl in sunglasses gave her response.

After hearing this, Chen Mobai lost interest in listening further.

Just like those half-baked fortune tellers, never answering questions directly, always using such ambiguous clichés.

“Very well, I’ll take your auspicious words.”

But Chen Mobai was a polite person. Although he no longer wished to listen, he still smiled in response, then stood up, ready to leave.

“If you Form a Golden Elixir, you must endure three tribulations.”

The hoarse voice of the girl in sunglasses came from behind. Chen Mobai shook his head indifferently after hearing this. In this modern society, why do these fortune tellers still stick to the same old routines?

First, they say something nice, then they try to scare you.

Thinking he had seen through her, Chen Mobai felt repulsed and no longer wished to engage with this unskilled fortune-telling girl. He continued walking, about to leave the alley.

“These three tribulations are the tribulations of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. The tribulation of Essence means that if you wish to Form a Golden Elixir, you must first sacrifice one hundred and eighty years of your lifespan.”

Just as Chen Mobai lifted his foot to leave, he heard this and immediately turned back to the stall.

“Master, may I ask how to overcome this tribulation?”

The girl in sunglasses looked at the now more courteous Chen Mobai, her emotions and speech unchanged, and continued.

“The tribulation of Qi is the heavenly tribulation of Forming a Golden Elixir. Normally, within the Immortal Gate, this tribulation should no longer exist. Yet, your character for Elixir has revealed this tribulation, which is truly strange.”

Though she said it was strange, her tone remained unchanged.

Chen Mobai listened with a puzzled face but didn’t dare interrupt the master’s divination. He just noted this matter in his heart, planning to check the Immortal Gate’s records later or ask Che Yucheng.

“The tribulation of Spirit indicates an unstable foundation, insufficient cultivation for Forming a Golden Elixir. You may fail at the last moment due to the inability to control the surge in cultivation after Forming a Golden Elixir, resulting in failure at the brink of success.”

After hearing about his three tribulations for Forming a Golden Elixir, Chen Mobai took out his phone, intending to transfer money via QR code.

But after scanning the entire stall, he only saw the words “Heavenly Calculation, Divine Mechanism” and found no payment code.

“Master, how may I learn from you?”

Seeing that the girl in sunglasses had finished speaking about the tribulations and said no more, Chen Mobai couldn’t hold back and asked again.

“The fruit of the Tree of Longevity from the Sentence Mang Refining Department can add four hundred and eighty years to your lifespan.”

After a long contemplation, the fortune teller finally provided a solution for the first tribulation, but upon hearing this, Chen Mobai was speechless.

The only sixth-grade spiritual tree in the Immortal Gate, the “Great Tree of Longevity” from the Sentence Mang Refining Department.

This tree bears fruit every eight hundred years, which can extend life even for mortals, resurrect the dead, and is known as the number one immortal fruit of the Immortal Gate.

But even the three great hall masters of the Immortal Gate are not qualified to consume it, as it is exclusively for Divine Transformation ancestors.

Although he had seen in TV dramas where the female lead goes through great hardships to obtain a fruit of the Tree of Longevity from the ancestor to revive the dead male lead, that was just television. Chen Mobai even thought that if half of the people in the Immortal Gate died, those two Divine Transformation ancestors wouldn’t even bother to open their eyes.

“Master, is there a simpler method to overcome the tribulation?”

Chen Mobai continued to ask.

The girl in sunglasses, however, continued to speak as if programmed.

“The Qi tribulation should not exist within the Immortal Gate. You can resolve it by choosing a place within the Immortal Gate to Form a Golden Elixir.”

“The Spirit tribulation is due to your shaky foundation. Refine your internal skills or prepare the corresponding elixirs in advance as a supplement, which can also have miraculous effects.”

After saying these three things, the girl in sunglasses folded the paper with the character for Elixir that Chen Mobai had written, tucked it into her right sleeve, and then, no matter what he said, remained silent as if mute.

“Master, I have some savings and quite a few magical artifacts and spiritual items. Can these serve as payment for the divination?”

Chen Mobai thought he might not have shown enough sincerity, but the girl in sunglasses remained silent.

“How about this, Master? You only do three divinations a day, right? Give me two more pieces of paper, and I’ll cover all your business for today.”

This remark seemed to catch the attention of the girl in sunglasses, who had been staring blankly. She looked up, her eyes behind the sunglasses staring straight at him, her tone fluctuating for the first time.

“Divination is for those with destiny, no charge, but it ties you to the fate of my Divine Mechanism Mansion. One divination is a shallow connection, but three divinations create a bond, interlinked, and you may not be able to resolve it in the future.”

Ah, she really doesn’t charge for it!

Chen Mobai was surprised and wondered about the origins of the Divine Mechanism Mansion.

With the girl in sunglasses in front of him, he didn’t dare to search online with his phone.

“We in the Immortal Gate do not speak of fate. From a young age, we are taught that power is concentrated within oneself, and we use strength to break the law. Go ahead and divine for me.”

But Chen Mobai knew that this fortune teller must be a master.

After all, no one in the entire Immortal Gate had ever mentioned the fruit of the Tree of Longevity, only he knew about it.

This person could see the tribulations of his Forming a Golden Elixir at a glance, which showed she had real skills.

“Alright then, but I’ll only do one more divination for you.”

The girl in sunglasses hesitated, then pulled out another piece of paper, along with the pen she had put away, and was about to hand it to Chen Mobai.

Tap, tap, tap!

Footsteps approached, sounding like leather shoes tapping on the ground, crisp and pleasant.

Chen Mobai turned his head toward the entrance of the alley, unable to see the face against the light, but he could make out a slender figure with a full chest, wearing a slightly tight pink plaid shirt that accentuated her slim waist, and a striped pleated skirt that revealed a pair of long, slender legs in black over-the-knee stockings and round-toed leather shoes.

“Excuse me, may I pass through?”

As she entered, she saw Chen Mobai and the girl in sunglasses at the divination stall.

Since the alley was narrow, with two people sitting down and the stall in the middle, there was hardly any space left for others to pass.

Chen Mobai looked up, a flash of surprise in his eyes. It was a familiar face.

It was Shi Wanyu, whom he had met on the train when he first came to the Refining Department.

Five years had passed, and time seemed to have left no trace on her. She was still as pure and beautiful as before, her smile and the way she brushed her hair beside her ear adding a touch of charm to her youthful appearance.

“Please.”

Chen Mobai immediately stood up to let her pass, and she thanked him with a smile.

“Divination is for those with destiny, Young Lady, do you want to divine for marriage?”

However, as Shi Wanyu passed the stall, the girl in sunglasses, who had been indifferent to Chen Mobai, took the initiative to ask if she wanted a divination.

“Sorry, I don’t believe in these things.”

Shi Wanyu was a bit surprised but still shook her head apologetically. As she turned to leave, Chen Mobai had an idea.

This person from the Divine Mechanism Mansion only does three divinations a day, and he had already taken up two. The last one could be used to test the truth.

“Since you’ve encountered a master, don’t miss the opportunity.”

Chen Mobai spoke up, causing Shi Wanyu, who was about to leave, to hesitate. After all, the red and black robes of the academy that he wore were quite persuasive.

“I’ll pass. My friend is waiting for me at the Refining Department’s stall. I heard that the victor of today’s duel is coming, and I’m afraid of being late, so I won’t have a divination.”

Shi Wanyu’s words made Chen Mobai’s mouth twitch slightly.

How did the news of his arrival get leaked? Probably those loose-lipped Student Council members. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have gone there.

“It won’t take long.”

Seeing Shi Wanyu about to leave, Chen Mobai spoke again and then removed the mask from his face. Pieces of black crystal-like scales flew from the sides of his cheeks into the protective arm sleeve of his raised right hand.

“It’s you… What are you doing here…”

Shi Wanyu saw Chen Mobai, her face flushed with surprise and disbelief as she covered her mouth.

“Sorry, I’m quite popular these days, so I need to disguise myself when I go out.”

Chen Mobai first apologized to Shi Wanyu, who shook her head, indicating it was okay.

“If you wanted to see me, you could have just contacted me directly. Don’t we have each other’s contact information?”

Shi Wanyu listened and looked down shyly.

How could a girl take the initiative to contact someone? After Chen Mobai had just established his Foundation, she was genuinely happy for him and mustered the courage to send a message when he posted on social media.

Although the two chatted all night, in the following two years, if Chen Mobai didn’t take the initiative, she could only bury her feelings deep in her heart.

Especially after Chen Mobai became the head of the Refining Department this year, sweeping through the Minor Red Heaven and reaching the peak of fame, she felt an even greater gap between them and dared not contact him for fear of being misunderstood as someone who was frivolous and chasing fame and fortune.

“If you have something to say in the future, you can tell me directly. I’m usually cultivating, and if I see your message when I’m free, I’ll reply. Also, I think I still owe you a lipstick, right?”

Chen Mobai remembered that on the train, Shi Wanyu had given him a lipstick to use for signing an autograph for someone else. He had promised to buy one to replace it after getting off the train, but after going to the first-class cabin and meeting Meng Huang’er and Ma Xiaoming, he had forgotten about it.

“You still remember.”

Shi Wanyu heard this and was even more delighted. Her eyes, lightly made up, narrowed into a smile, looking particularly attractive.

“This master is a reclusive expert, divining only three fortunes a day. Since you’ve encountered her, you might as well ask about the thing you most want to know.”

Chen Mobai introduced the girl in sunglasses, and Shi Wanyu listened intently while looking at him.

“How much does it cost?”

Asking this question meant that Shi Wanyu was willing to have a divination. However, she was still rational and didn’t lose her senses upon reuniting with her good friend Chen Mobai, asking about the fee in advance to avoid embarrassment if she couldn’t afford it.

“There’s no charge, only fate is tied.”

The girl in sunglasses answered Shi Wanyu’s question and then pulled out another piece of paper, picking up the pen that was originally for Chen Mobai, and handed it to her. Although Shi Wanyu found it strange, she didn’t think too much about it, trusting that Chen Mobai wouldn’t deceive her.

“Let’s go with this.”

Shi Wanyu thought for a while, her fair skin blushing, she quickly wrote a character, folded it without letting Chen Mobai see, and handed it directly to the girl in sunglasses.

“Young Lady, what do you want to ask? About marriage?”

The girl in sunglasses opened it and asked meaningfully after seeing it.

“No, no, no, I want to know about my future life.”

Shi Wanyu was too embarrassed to ask directly about marriage with Chen Mobai by her side, so she found a more tactful way to inquire.

“Your life will be fulfilled.”

The girl in sunglasses gave an answer that made Shi Wanyu even happier, but Chen Mobai frowned slightly. This generic response was just like the one he had received earlier, lacking any substance.

“What do you mean by fulfilled?”

Shi Wanyu pressed further.

“To die a natural death.”

The girl in sunglasses gave a rather morbid answer. Shi Wanyu’s initially happy expression stiffened slightly. She opened her mouth, but considering Chen Mobai was right there, she ultimately didn’t dare to ask that question.

“To die a natural death is also my dream.”

At this moment, Chen Mobai spoke up, smoothing over the situation, and then took the last blank piece of paper on the table and wrote down his second divination character for the day.

【Turtle】!

His current status was all thanks to a turtle shell, and today was a good opportunity to inquire further.

“What do you want to ask?”

“About life.”

Chen Mobai also wanted to see how far he could go in life.

“Most people ask about life. But I can’t see through yours.”

The girl in sunglasses suddenly sighed, then pulled out a thick stack of cards from under the table.

“Pick one. This is a treasure of the Divine Mechanism Mansion. The sentence written on it will be your life’s journey.”

Chen Mobai frowned slightly but still reached out and drew a card as instructed.

The back of the card featured a brass Bagua disc spiraling in the starry sky. Turning it over, there was indeed a sentence.

【Ascending beyond the world, treading the path through the void.】

“Master, how should I interpret this?”

Chen Mobai felt it resonated with his life but didn’t fully understand, so he humbly asked the girl in sunglasses for clarification.

“Young Lady, since you also asked about life, why don’t you draw one too? Although I saw the end of your life, there’s a bit of fog in the beginning.”

The girl in sunglasses didn’t answer Chen Mobai but turned to Shi Wanyu, who drew a card in confusion.

Upon seeing it, she read another line of poetry.

【Stars burst beyond the clouds, flying to the steps before.】

Chen Mobai and Shi Wanyu looked at each other, both not understanding, and turned back to ask the girl in sunglasses, who suddenly changed her expression and coughed up a mouthful of blood.